Learning Basic Social Skills: Part 1
by angelkittysmith
Summary: Over the summer of 2017, my childhood friends Sarah, James, and Henri join me in some exciting outings around Pittsburgh. I learn basic social skills as I discuss with them moments we remember from our childhood. NOTE: I do not own Liberty's Kids.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: A Morning of Board Games

On a cool and dreary Saturday morning in May 2017, my childhood friends Sarah, James, and Henri met me at my mom's apartment in Highland Park. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "What games did you bring?" I asked. "I brought Star Wars Trivia Pursuit," James stated. "I brought Scrabble," Sarah stated. "Oh boy!" I exclaimed. "Would you guys like to have breakfast with me first?" "Sure," Henri replied. "I made us some omelets." We went into the kitchen to eat breakfast. "Mmm, these Western omelets are good!" James exclaimed. "Hi, guys!" my mom, Nadine greeted us. "Hi, Mom!" I exclaimed. "My friends are over to play some board games with me." "That's nice," Mom remarked. "Would you guys like something to eat or drink? I have chips, carrots, cookies, beer, water, etc..." "Sure, Mrs. Smith," Henri replied. "We're still hungry." Mom got out snacks for us to eat, while we were setting up our board games. Before Mom left for her Saturday morning meeting, she wanted to take a picture of me with Sarah, James, and Henri. "We actually have Scrabble here that we can play, Sarah," my mom told Sarah. "Anyway, you guys have fun! I will see you later, Angel." Mom left and Sarah and I began to play Scrabble, while James and Henri played Trivial Pursuit. "So, how was your trip to New England, Sarah?" I asked. "It was lots of fun, Angel," Sarah replied. "Thank you for asking!" We even looked at some pictures from their trip. "It was cold for a couple of days, so we needed to get out our sweatshirts." "I'm glad finals are done," I stated. "How did you do?" Sarah asked me. "I did well on some, some I did not do so well on," I replied. I thought of a word to make from Sarah's word "tardy". I ended up making the word "date". "I didn't know you already had Scrabble, Angel," Sarah told me. "Well, I do, Sarah," I replied. "I remember the day we first met and became friends, like it was only yesterday." "Uh-huh," Sarah replied. "At my mom and James's dad's wedding." "That was at Natrona Heights Presbyterian Church, where your banquet was also held," I told Sarah. I looked at my letters to see what words I could make. "I am having bad luck today," I told my friend. "Why don't you go get some snacks while you think about it?" Sarah asked. I got some carrot sticks, potato chips, tortilla chips, Girl Scout cookies, and brownie bites. Sarah got some carrot sticks and tortilla chips. "This is nothing like the food that James and I ate at our banquet- spaghetti and salad," Sarah stated. "I remember I didn't even like salad much," I told Sarah, "even though I love spaghetti." "I'm glad there is no wedding or banquet today," Sarah told me. "I don't like the pressure of getting dressed up and meeting new people so much." "I thought you did, Sarah," I remarked. "Well, since we are so exhausted from our trip, I thought we could just relax, play board games, and eat snacks," Sarah told me. "Boy, I am having a hard time making words today," I stated as I noticed I had only consonants. "Sarah, could you please help me?" Sarah helped me make 2-letter words, as she was very good at Scrabble. As a matter of fact, she was already winning! "At least it's just the two of us playing today," I continued. "It's not like we have Carly or Alex to play with us." We eventually used up all of our letters, and Sarah ended up winning. "Congratulations, Sarah!" I congratulated my friend. "Good game!" We gave each other a high five. Everybody was getting ready to clean up their games when my behavior specialist showed up. "Thanks for a great game morning, guys!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A Trip to the South Side

One warm Saturday morning in May 2017, I took the bus to the South Side with my childhood friends Sarah, James, and Henri. We decided to go to the comic book store, then to get a treat from the Milkshake Factory, and finally, to the Riverfront Park. I already had a treat for Sarah, James, and Henri: cupcakes, which we ate once we got off the bus. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "Thanks for the cupcakes! They were really yummy." "You're welcome," I replied. "Isn't the South Side a nice area?" James asked. "Yes, but my parents have told me that there were numerous issues here, like people getting shot," I told him. "Yeah, I heard about that, too," Henri agreed. "So, do you want to go to South Side Comics first?" I asked. "Sure," James replied. "I can't wait to see what they have." We went inside and looked at all the action figures, comic books, graphic novels, and other toys. "Look, Archie comics!" James exclaimed. "It seems like Jughead is learning how to play baseball." He paused for a second. "Speaking of baseball, I remember the baseball game at my high school that I took Sarah and Angel to," James continued. "Isn't there a Pirates game tonight that we can go to?" "The trouble is, we don't have tickets," I told him. "I thought about going to a Pirates game for my birthday, but I found something better that I would like to go to here on the South Side," James explained. "What is that, James?" I asked him. "You'll see." "Let's go to the Milkshake Factory," Henri stated, "after I buy this new Spiderman comic book and Batman plush to add to my collection." "The Milkshake Factory?" Sarah asked. "I hate to see this, but I don't drink milkshakes very often. I think Angel's cupcakes that she baked for us were much tastier and healthier." "That's because I use a special recipe to make them," I explained. Once Henri purchased his merchandise, we went to the Milkshake Factory. "It feels hot and humid out," Sarah stated. "That's why it's a perfect day to get a milkshake," James stated. "No offense, but I don't like milkshakes, James," Sarah told James. "Neither do I," I agreed, "and I am trying to lose weight." We all went into the Milkshake Factory and looked at their menu. Sarah and I decided to split a s'more sundae. James ordered a brownie fudge milkshake. Henri ordered a cookies n' cream milkshake. "Want to go outside and drink our milkshakes?" James offered. "Sure," I replied. "It's too warm outside," Sarah complained. "This past week was too hot, too. It makes me wonder if this summer will be a repeat of last year when it was hot and humid almost every day." "I would love a repeat of last summer," James disagreed. "It reminded me of the summers that you worked as a camp counselor at Allegheny YMCA," I told him. "2010, 2011, and 2012 due to a sustained La Nina and cold Pacific Decadal Oscillation in the Pacific Ocean, which, unfortunately, we don't have this year." "It seems like May hot spells are getting more and more common nowadays," Sarah stated. "Especially one day when we were kids and it hit 90 degrees in May. I couldn't even concentrate on my geography homework and had to keep running the air conditioner since it was so hot outside." "That reminds me," Henri stated. "James, can you purchase us all some lemonade as a reminder of what we sold?" "I don't want any lemonade," Sarah disagreed. "I just want a glass of water." "Sarah, my stepmom thinks that I am fat and look horrible in a bathing suit," I told her. "Oh, I wouldn't say that, Angel," Sarah disagreed. "You should just worry about eating healthy anyway, no matter what you look like." Pretty soon, we got our treats and went outside. Sarah and I each got a spoon to split our sundae. "Mmm, this is yummy!" I remarked. "Uh-huh," Sarah agreed. "I just don't want to get hot fudge on this dress." "Me neither," I agreed, "since this is a brand new one." "This dress I have had ever since I was a teenager," Sarah explained. "And the same one you wore on the hot day in May," I observed. "Yep," Sarah agreed. James took pictures of our treats before we left for the park. "If there were a Chinese restaurant in the South Side, I would totally be up for Chinese food like we had for dinner during the May heat wave," Henri declared. "That would be nice if I didn't have to go back and eat lunch with my new friends, Emily and Erin Mistle," I told everyone. "You can meet them next weekend!" "Okay," Sarah agreed. "Do you remember when it was too hot for us to even sleep during the hot spell?" James asked. "That's what I hate," Sarah replied. "During summer heat waves, you cannot even sleep well, and my air conditioner was already about to break from using it so much during the day." We arrived at the Riverfront Park and realized that we could see a view of the Parkway East, as well as a shopping cart in the lake, which I took pictures of. James took a picture of all of us together by a sculpture at the park. Pretty soon, it was time for us to walk back to the bus stop on East Carson Street and 28th Street. "Thanks for a great morning, guys!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Trivia Night at Hough's

The last Saturday of May 2017 was warm when I drove up with my childhood friends Sarah, James, and Henri to Hough's in Greenfield for Trivia Night. My new best friend, Emily Mistle, along with her older brother, Michael and younger sister, Erin also joined us. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "Emily, this is one of my best friends from childhood, Sarah Phillips," I introduced. "Sarah, this is Emily Mistle. She is my new best friend." "Nice to meet you, Sarah," Emily greeted. We got a table for 7 so we could all participate in Trivia Night. Emily and Erin were playing with toys called Spinners. Meanwhile, James was talking with Michael. "Michael, you drive the same type of car I do: a BMW!" James pointed out. "I got my first car when I was 16 years old at the local car dealer," Michael remarked. "I remember that day very well," I told James and Michael. "We went to Pizza Hut afterwards for a birthday dinner, too," Sarah remembered. "I love pizza," James stated. "It is one of my favorite foods!" He looked at the menu. "But, I am in the mood for a hamburger tonight," he continued, "which is also yummy." As a matter of fact, most of us ordered burgers, except for Sarah and Henri. Sarah ordered a turkey Rachel sandwich with coleslaw on marble rye bread with tater tots, and Henri ordered "tot-choes" which he shared with James and chicken wings. I ordered an All-American burger with tater tots. "Is black your favorite color, Henri?" Erin asked as she discovered Henri's outfit. "Not really," Henri replied. "Although Sarah, James, and I did have to wear all black outfits one day." "That's funny," Erin remarked. "I remember wearing all black with Emily and Michael, too. I wore an all-black dress. It was for my grandfather's funeral." "We just wore black because it was the color of the day," Henri stated. Pretty soon, it was time for Trivia questions. I got on a team with Sarah, Emily, and Erin called "The Spinners" and James, Henri, and Michael formed a team called "Road to One." The categories were Secret Service Symbols, Combinations, Movie Soundtracks, Beer and Liquor, and State and Country Capitals. Our team was tied with the boys' team. "The Three Rivers Arts Festival comes to town next week," Emily informed Sarah. "I know," Sarah remarked. "We're going next Saturday to see the band Hippo Campus." "Hippo Campus?" Emily asked. "I love that band!" "Are you going, too?" Sarah asked. "Yes, Sarah," Emily replied. "As a matter of fact, we're going next Saturday, too!" "That's even better," I remarked. "I can go to the festival with Sarah, James, Henri, Emily, Michael, and Erin." It was time for Emily, Michael, and Erin to go once they paid for their food. I drove back to Highland Park with Sarah, James, and Henri after we paid for our food. "Thanks for a great evening, guys!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Three Rivers Arts Festival

On a warm and sunny first Saturday of June 2017, I drove up with Sarah, James, and Henri to the Three Rivers Arts Festival at Point State Park in downtown Pittsburgh. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "I'm excited to hear the band Hippo Campus tonight," James told us. "They are a bunch of 21-year-olds from Minnesota playing indie rock music." "I love music like that," Henri agreed. We walked around and looked at all the different booths. "Aren't your other friends supposed to be here today too, Angel?" Sarah asked me. "Yes, Sarah," I replied. "Emily, Michael, and Erin are supposed to be at the Arts Festival tonight." We looked at some of the arts and crafts. "Hey, I am hungry," I told my friend. "Do you want to go get some lunch?" "Sure," Sarah replied. "Follow me." We walked to the food booth and met James and Henri at a table. I ordered cobb salad and a chocolate chip cookie, Sarah ordered a chicken tender and tater tot combo, James ordered sweet and sour chicken with rice, and Henri ordered a piece of pepperoni pizza and chocolate ice cream with hot fudge sauce and whipped cream. "I love this festival," James stated. "It reminds me of my high school dance where I took Betsy, and there was lots of good music and food, except Hippo Campus was not around then." "I couldn't go because I had a Boy Scouts meeting," Henri remembered. "And, I couldn't go because nobody asked me," Sarah remembered. "But, you and I had fun together, right?" I asked. "Yes, we just watched a movie and ate pizza together at our house," Sarah replied. "I'm actually full. Do you want the rest of my tater tots, Angel?" "Sure, Sarah," I replied. I ate the rest of Sarah's tater tots. "Mmm, sweet and sour chicken is my favorite kind of Chinese food," James stated. "What's your favorite kind, Angel?" "I like chicken with broccoli, rice, and lo mein," I replied. "And, we got Chinese food before your interviews began!" Henri was still digging at his ice cream sundae. "I think you have some chocolate sauce on your face, Henri," I pointed out to him. He got a napkin and wiped it off. I also ordered a can of Diet Coke to drink with my meal. "Do you want to go look around some more?" I asked Sarah. "Sure," Sarah replied. We saw a play called The Light Princess on stage. "Wow, this is quite an amazing play, Angel," Sarah remarked. We also saw the boy from Sarah's 8th grade history class behind us: Nathan. Sarah was surprised. "Nathan!" Sarah exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" "I am in charge of the Arts Festival, Sarah," Nathan told us. "You cheated off of my history exam 14 years ago!" Sarah exclaimed. "They should not hire you for an event like this." "Look, Sarah," Nathan straightened out. "I am very sorry for cheating off your exam. I just did not know anything about history back then. But now, I know a lot there is to know about history just from going to this festival for many years." "Since when?" Sarah asked. "Since 2008, when I graduated from high school," Nathan explained. "I'm amazed that Nathan got detention for cheating and blaming you for it, Sarah, and here he is many years later, being in charge of an arts festival," I remarked. "Well, people can learn from their mistakes," Sarah pointed out. "That is basically the moral of The Light Princess," I explained. James and Henri came back from an amazing experience. "Guess who we saw back stage?" Henri asked. "Who, Henri?" Sarah asked. "Jesse Eisenberg, a star of many famous movies and television shows," James told us. "That's so amazing," I remarked. "I think it would be great to meet a famous actor!" Pretty soon, Emily, Michael, and Erin showed up at the festival. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my other friends. "Hi, Angel!" Emily greeted back. "Are we going to see Hippo Campus later?" Erin asked. "Yes, we are, Erin," I replied. "Do you want to hang out with me and Angel for a little while?" Sarah asked Emily and Erin. "Of course," Emily replied. "James, is it okay if I walk around with you and Henri for a while?" Michael asked. "Absolutely," James replied. Sarah, Emily, Erin, and I looked at some personalized name boards after passing by and looking at the fountain from Point State Park. "Look at all the names they have on here," I stated. "They have my name." "And mine," Sarah added. "And mine, too," Emily added. "And mine, too," Erin added. "Angel, Sarah, Emily, Erin..." "Sarah and Emily are two of the most popular girls' names," I pointed out. "Yes, they are, Angel," Sarah agreed. "Do you want to go get some dinner with us, Angel?" Emily asked. "Yes, I am still hungry," I replied. "What do you girls want?" "Well, Michael is ordering us some stuffed chicken breasts," Erin told me. "I like the parmesan and cheese stuffing," I told everyone. "Sarah, why don't you go see what James and Henri are doing?" Sarah went to find James and Henri. After Emily, Michael, Erin, and I ate dinner, we all tuned in to see the band Hippo Campus around 7:30 pm. "This band rocks!" I exclaimed. I danced like crazy to the music, and everyone thought I was a good dancer. I decided to go home with Emily, Michael, and Erin. "Thanks for a great day at the arts festival, guys!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Disc Golf

On a hot second Saturday of June 2017, my best friend, Emily Mistle and I drove up with my childhood friends Sarah, James, and Henri to Schenley Park Disc Golf Course to play disc golf. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. We were listening to Maroon 5's second album, _It Won't Be Soon Before Long_ , on James's phone while using it as a GPS to get to the golf course. We were on one of our favorite songs entitled "Makes Me Wonder." "Is this Maroon 5?" Emily asked. "I love their music." "Yes, Emily," I told her. "Maroon 5 is a band that we all love to listen to." "I know this song is probably going to prep you up for disc golf, Angel," James pointed out. "It will prep me up, too," Henri agreed. "Do you want to be on me and Angel's team, Emily?" Sarah asked. "Sure, Sarah," Emily agreed. "I would love to." We got out of the car, got some frisbees, and headed towards the golf course. First, Emily and I had some homemade milkshakes to drink, while Sarah, James, and Henri ate Popsicles they brought with them. "Where are Erin and Michael at?" James asked. "Michael is at home taking care of the kids, and Erin is in another part of Schenley Park," Emily explained. She paused for a moment. "Boy am I glad to be here!" "Why is that, Emily?" Sarah asked. "My old friend from high school, Alexa, is throwing a pool party here and she didn't invite me," Emily explained. "I feel so sorry for you," Sarah sympathized. "Sarah, didn't we sneak out to a party once?" I asked Sarah as I threw my frisbee. "Yes, you did," James replied. "To Molly Corbin's sweet 16 party." "Molly Corbin?" Emily asked. "She was one of James's friends," Sarah explained. "I hate to say this, but I actually enjoyed the party," I told everyone. "I didn't like being left at home alone with the baby-sitter," Henri admitted. "I actually loved the music, the dancing, the pizza, the cake... but I did not like all the chaos and getting caught by James," I told everyone. "Pizza and cake, huh?" Emily asked. "Well, I am taking Angel and Erin out for pasta bowls and frozen yogurt, which seems much cooler than pizza and cake." I threw my frisbee up in the air. "Watch out, guys!" I exclaimed. I aimed my frisbee near the basket. "Your turn, Emily," I told my friend. Emily threw and aimed her frisbee towards the basket. "Sarah, you're next," I told my other friend. Sarah threw and aimed her frisbee towards the basket. "I admit that I did like driving in James's BMW and listening to music," Emily stated. "I have had the BMW car for a long time, Emily," James told her. "As a matter of fact, I am probably going to go home and cook a nice meal that reminds me of when I got my car." "Don't you guys want to go out for pasta bowls and frozen yogurt with us?" I asked. "James already has plans to cook this evening, Angel," Sarah told me. "Some of my favorite foods- fried chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, corn..." Henri added. "No offense, but where are the vegetables at?" Emily asked. "Corn can be a vegetable, too," James pointed out. "I probably want some vegetables in my pasta bowl tonight," I admitted. "Like broccoli, for instance!" "Then, I would recommend the cheesy penne with broccoli dish," Emily suggested. "I am probably in the mood for linguine noodles with pesto." Emily threw her frisbee towards the basket. "Your turn, Sarah," she pointed out. Sarah threw the Frisbee towards the basket. "So, what's the big surprise for James's birthday?" I asked. "Well, you, Henri, and I are going to go out for breakfast on the South Side," Sarah told me. "What is James going to do?" I continued to ask. "It's a surprise," James reminded us. "You will see." He threw his Frisbee towards the basket, and then Henri took his turn. "Are you guys having fun?" James asked us. "We sure are, James," I answered. Before we knew it, we saw Alexa's pool party on the other side of the park. "Sarah, can Emily take us to the pool party?" I asked. "I don't think she invited us, either," Sarah pointed out. "Well, I certainly am having fun with disc golf," James admitted. "This is one of my favorite summer activities, and I think this is much more fun than going to a wild party!" "Yeah, what better way to celebrate the summer weather than by playing disc golf?" I asked. When it got close to dinnertime, Sarah, James, and Henri drove me and Emily back to Oakland to take Erin out for dinner and dessert. "Thanks for a great game of disc golf, guys!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: James's Birthday Surprise

On a hot third Thursday of June 2017, I met up with my childhood friends Sarah, James, and Henri in the South Side. Sarah took Henri and me out for a breakfast buffet where some things I got to eat included Belgian waffles, apple smoked bacon, and freshly baked banana bread. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "You look nice," I complimented. "I like your dress." "Thanks," Sarah remarked. "You look nice, too." I wore my olive-colored dress with the buttons down the front and Sarah wore her bright red sundress with strawberries on the front. "James has a very special surprise for us," Sarah informed as she got a call from her older stepbrother. "Let's go see what it is." We then walked to the Brew House where James was standing at the entrance. He waved us to come in. "Surprise!" everybody shouted. "Oh wow, look at all these pictures!" I exclaimed. "It's the 24 in 24 Gallery where I took 24 pictures in 24 hours," James explained. "Feel free to look around and tell me what you think of all the pictures." Pretty soon, James's old friend from high school, Sybil, showed up to look at the gallery. "Wow James, look at all these pictures you took," Sybil remarked. "Are you a famous photographer, or what?" "I'm working on it, Sybil," James replied. "I never realized you liked photography so much when I first met you," Sybil pointed out. "I believe we were in a photography class together, Sybil," James remembered. "By the way, happy birthday!" Sybil wished James a happy birthday. "Thanks, Sybil," James replied. "Look at this picture, guys," Henri showed me and Sarah. "It is of a random lady from _Dr. Who_." " _Dr. Who_?" I asked. "It's a great show, Angel," Sarah informed me. "You should watch it." "Is that James's best girl friend, Sybil he is talking to?" I asked. "I think that is," Sarah replied. James was showing other attendants around the gallery. "Happy birthday, James!" I wished my male friend. "Thank you, Angel," James replied. "I also like your outfit a lot, too," I remarked. "You look very professional." "Thanks," he also replied. Of course, James had on a baby blue shirt with green stripes and black pants. "Do you still care about the way you look, James?" I asked. "Absolutely, Angel," James replied. "I just don't obsess about it." "I remember you were obsessed with looking good for your 10th grade school picture, and I had to help you out because you were stuck hiding under your bed fearing everybody's reaction," I pointed out. "Thanks again, Angel," James thanked me. "Truth is, I don't always think about the way I look except for on special occasions like my school picture day and especially today because I am a gallery attendant." "I helped Sarah look good for her 8th grade school picture, too, remember?" Henri asked. "Yes, you did, Henri," Sarah replied. "I needed your help because I had trouble deciding what to wear, how to smile, how much make-up to put on." Sarah paused for a second. "I was actually almost going to wear this sundress for Picture Day, but it would be too inappropriate for school." "I remember that what you actually wore was not too bad, either," I told my friend. "Yes, my shoulders needed to be covered and I couldn't wear anything too short, so my red cap sleeve shirt and black capris were perfect," Sarah pointed out. James had another surprise for us: an outdoor concert featuring the Concert Band of Greater Pittsburgh performing Latin-American songs- absolutely perfect for summertime! The songs they performed were _Dos Danzos Latinas, Fuego Espanol, Viva, Fiesta de Los Toros,_ and _Mambo Cubano_. "That was a great concert," I remarked. I turned around and spotted my friend, Emily Mistle in the audience. "Hi, Emily," I greeted my friend. "What are you doing here?" "I came here because I love the Concert Band of Greater Pittsburgh's music, and I wanted to come see you and your friends," Emily replied. "Today is James's birthday," Sarah told Emily. "He received a gift card to the Milkshake Factory as a present." "I'm totally up for a milkshake," Emily agreed. "Then, he is going to take us on a walk through Riverfront Park." We all walked to the Milkshake Factory to get a treat. I ordered a classic vanilla milkshake, Emily ordered a classic strawberry milkshake, Sarah ordered the Strawberry Balsamic Milkshake, James ordered his all-time favorite milkshake, which was Brownie Fudge, and Henri ordered a Mint Cookies and Cream milkshake. We walked and drank our milkshakes. "I must say that James is a real chocolate nut and Sarah," Emily pointed out, "did you order a strawberry-flavored milkshake because you have strawberries on your dress?" "Not exactly, Emily," Sarah replied. "The strawberry balsamic milkshake is actually one of my favorite milkshakes here." "Can you give me a sip?" I asked. "Sure," Sarah replied. "I have an extra straw, and I might not finish my milkshake, anyway." "About me being a chocolate nut, you're right, Emily," James agreed. "I love chocolate milkshakes, chocolate ice cream, and chocolate cake. As a matter of fact, do you know what my birthday cake was?" "No, what?" I asked. "Chocolate fudge with cocoa-flavored icing," James told me. Henri licked his lips. "Mmm, that sounds yummy," he remarked, sipping into his milkshake. "Henri also loves cookies and cream milkshakes," I informed Emily. "It sure seems like it," Emily noticed. Before we knew it, it started to rain and we ended up getting caught. "Oh no!" I moaned. "I didn't bring a raincoat with me and I am going to get my dress soaked." "Same here," Sarah agreed. "My hair is going to frizz and my dress is going to get soaked. She dug out a jean jacket from her bag to throw over top of her dress. "My feet are also going to get soaked from wearing these sandals," Sarah pointed out. "Why do you always wear the same shade of polish on your toenails, Sarah?" Emily asked. "Because bright pink is my personal favorite shade, Emily," Sarah replied. "I like painting my toenails whenever I wear sandals while the weather gets this hot outside." "We should run inside before we get soaked," I encouraged everybody. We arrived back at the Brew House, while Sybil and some of James's other friends were still there. "You guys don't even look all that wet," Sybil pointed out. "Do you want me to take a picture of you guys?" "Sure," James replied. First, we made sure to look our best before we got the picture taken. It came out perfectly. "Well, I guess it is time for us to go now, Angel," Emily told us. "Thanks for a great morning, guys!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Visiting the Glass Center

On a pleasant final Saturday of June 2017, I met my childhood friends Sarah, James, and Henri at the Pittsburgh Glass Center in East Liberty. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "One of my dad's good friends, Mr. Wilson, is going to take us on a tour around the Glass Center here," James explained to us. Mr. Wilson showed us some glass figures that he constructed. "I wonder if there was a glass figure of my cat, Mattie," I remarked. "That would be nice, Angel," Sarah remarked. "It definitely would be nice to learn how to blow glass one day," Henri stated. "That would be nice," James agreed. "I would love to do that, too." Mr. Wilson showed us all the different parts of the glass center, which were the flame shop, kiln shop, hot shop, and cold shop. I noticed that Sarah was being awfully quiet. "What's wrong, Sarah?" I asked my friend. "My stepbrothers want to learn how to blow glass, but that is not really something that I am into," Sarah explained. "I know how you feel," I told my friend. "The only time I ever blew glass was when I was a teenager, but again, that was many years ago." "Oh," Sarah remarked. "I see." I walked over to an open window in the hot shop. "Just be careful, Angel," Sarah reminded me. "We used to have some good times together, Sarah," I told my friend. "You braided my hair, painted my fingernails..." "Yes, I did all that," Sarah remembered. "I think that was the day you got your hair curled too, and I wanted to be just like you," I pointed out. "I hope you do that again sometime." "Maybe, I will curl it for next Saturday when we go out to dinner at Mt. Washington," Sarah considered. "Are you guys still thinking about coming to Alex Russo's 4th of July party next weekend?" I asked. "Yes, we are invited," Sarah replied. "And Carly and her parents are, too." "Again, why don't you want to do glass blowing?" "Because I am not sure if it is right for me," Sarah told me. "It was like that time I went on a date with John Paul Jones, and I was too young to see an R-rated movie, in which I eventually broke up with him." Sarah and I went to join James and Henri again. "You girls missed out on a really nice lecture," James told us. "A guy named Cornstalk showed us how to make different figures out of glass," Henri chimed in. We went downstairs to look at the gallery some more, and then went to the conference room for a snack. I provided chocolate cupcakes with vanilla cream cheese frosting and cans of beer. "Thanks for the cupcakes, Angel!" James thanked me. "Yes, they were really yummy," Henri agreed. "Well, I am going to go meet Emily, Michael, and Erin across the street for dinner," I told my friends. "Thanks for a great afternoon, guys!" "You're welcome, Angel," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: An Evening in Mt. Washington

On a warm first Saturday of July 2017, I drove up with my childhood friends Sarah, James, and Henri to ride the Incline at Mt. Washington and have dinner at Monterey Bay afterwards. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Alex greeted back. "You're just in time to ride the Incline," James told me. "It should be a lot of fun," Henri added. We paid our fare and got on the Incline. "I wish this was like a real roller coaster," I stated. "I haven't rode the Incline ever since I was 10 years old." The Incline went down. "Wow, this ride is very slow," Henri noticed. "Don't worry, Henri," James told him. "It will go fast in a second." Before we knew it, the Incline began to accelerate. We landed at the bottom. "That's a very pretty dress, Sarah," I told my friend. "Thanks, Angel," Sarah replied. "I like your dress, too." "And you did curl your hair for the holiday weekend," I also noticed. "Well, because we are going to a very nice restaurant, too," Sarah pointed out. "The Monterey Bay has really good seafood." "I recommended that everyone wear dressy casual outfits for both the Incline and the restaurant," James told us. "Ladies first," he continued. We took the Incline back up to Mt. Washington before driving up to the Monterey Bay for dinner. "I would love to come here for my birthday in November," Sarah stated. She sighed. "My 15th birthday was spectacular, thanks to you, Angel." "Don't forget about James and Henri," I pointed out. "Oh yeah, with your cake and presents and everything," James agreed. "Although we did embarrass her with pictures from her childhood," Henri pointed out. Sarah then looked at her menu to see what she wanted. "I will have a glass of juice to drink," I decided. "I will just have a glass of water," Sarah decided, "since I like to drink water more than any other beverage, especially pop or beer." "That's why one of your guy friends, Benedict got suspended, huh?" I asked. "Yes, it is," Sarah replied in an upset tone, "and don't remind me about it anymore." She ran out of the room. "Why did you make Sarah upset, Angel?" James asked. "I guess I must have helped, too," Henri admitted. "I guess we brought up too much about the photos and the beer, huh?" I asked. "At least you still have me," James reminded me. "I still had you even when Sarah was devastated," I remarked. I paused. "Should I go talk to her?" "Sure, why not?" James agreed with me. I left the table to go talk to Sarah. "Sarah, are you feeling okay?" I asked. "I'm feeling fine," Sarah replied. "What's bothering you?" "I don't want to be reminded of my childhood anymore. About my birthday pictures and especially about Benedict drinking beer." "Are you stressed about your summer job, or what?" I asked my friend. "I guess I am," Sarah admitted. "Charlotte never listens to me and always wants to do what she wants to do." "Who is Charlotte?" "She is the camper that I work with," Sarah explained. "She can be as difficult as the other campers in her group." "Do you want to go back inside and enjoy a nice dinner and maybe a view of the city up top afterwards?" I offered. "Sure," Sarah agreed. We went back inside and got our dinners. James and Henri ordered our dinners, too. I got the Farmstead 1/2 Chicken and Sarah got the Whole Market Fish, while James got Swordfish Parmesan and Henri got Signature Crab Cakes. "I'll tell you what, Sarah," I told my friend. "What, Angel?" Sarah asked me. "How would you like to split a dessert with me to take your mind off things?" I offered. "Okay," Sarah agreed. "What dessert do you want?" "How about the angel food grilled cheese sandwich?" "Sure, that sounds yummy!" We ordered our dessert to go and then looked over the city of Pittsburgh from Mt. Washington. James was taking pictures of the city, while Sarah and I ate our dessert. "Mmm, this was a good choice because it reminds me of the birthday cake I ate, and I had vanilla ice cream with that, too," Sarah told me. "And, I am not even upset about Benedict being suspended from school anymore because I have Robert now." "Just make sure you don't start drinking beer like he did," I reminded my friend. "You had lots of healthy things to eat, like grilled fish and steamed vegetables." James then took a group picture of us over Mt. Washington at night. After that, we headed home, since it was getting late. "Thanks for a great dinner and evening, guys!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Spider-Man Homecoming

On a warm second Saturday of July 2017, I drove up with my childhood friends Sarah, James, and Henri to the Waterfront to get breakfast at Eat n' Park. Then, we were going to see the newest movie in theaters entitled _Spider-Man Homecoming_ at Loew's Theater, in which a man named Peter Parker works on balancing high school life with being Spider-Man. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "Was your breakfast good?" Yes, it was," I replied. "I love Eat n' Park's buttermilk pancakes and smoked bacon." "Thanks for taking us to see _Spider-Man Homecoming_ , James," Henri thanked his brother. "You're welcome, Henri," James replied. "It's a really good movie that I want you all to see." "Otherwise, I would be stuck in our apartment baby-sitting Angel and Henri," Sarah pointed out. "You did a good job with it too, Sarah," I reminded my friend. "Just entertaining us with card games and snacks." "Well, I think you will love this movie even more than playing card games," James told us. "But there is a snack bar over there if you guys are hungry." "We would like some chips, pretzels, and Doritos," Henri called out. "Well, I like popcorn better, so I will order us a big bag of popcorn for us to share," James decided. He ordered popcorn for us, as well as some individual cans of beer. "What is so great about this _Spider-Man Homecoming_ movie, James?" I asked. "You'll see," James replied. We went into the theater after the movie previews were done playing. We learned that the main character, Peter Parker was on his way to becoming a full Avenger, if it were not for him quitting the school's academic decathlon. When the house party scene played, I told James, "That reminds me of the house party that you threw as a teenager." "Yes, Angel, but it wasn't quite as wild," James pointed out. "Thanks for inviting us to that, too," Henri thanked. "That reminds me: I want to go to the party in that movie, since there are good things like pizza, beverages, and music, like we had." "Shh!" Sarah hissed at us. "Watch the movie!" Sarah had a blanket over top of her. I was still feeling sleepy, so I snuggled under Sarah's blanket and laid my head on her shoulder. I also found it amazing how Peter dressed up in a Spider-Man suit zooming all over town and suiting people, which was one thing that James would not dare do during his house party at age 16. When the movie was over, we talked about what we thought of it. "Sorry I fell asleep for a bit, Sarah," I apologized to my friend. "I was pretty tired." "I don't blame you, Angel," Sarah agreed. "It was a pretty long movie, although we really enjoyed it." "Uh-huh," Henri chimed in. "I think that _Spider-Man Homecoming_ might be my new favorite movie now!" "Good," James told us. "I'm glad you guys all liked the movie now." It was time for me to go meet my best friend, Emily Mistle for a snack. "Thanks for a great movie morning, guys!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: A Party at Emily's House

One pleasant Saturday evening in July 2017, my childhood friends Sarah, James, and Henri came up to my best friend, Emily Mistle's house in East Liberty. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "That is a pretty dress you have on, Sarah," Emily remarked. "James is taking pictures in the backyard," Sarah told him. Emily and I both got our pictures taken by James and Michael before Michael showed us some Improvisation games such as the Name Game, in which we said our name and performed an action, a game where we clapped directly to other people, The Mirror Game, in which we imitated other people's actions, and finally, the Shape Game, in which we formed different shapes. Then, we had dinner, which was tacos, including vegetarian, classic ground beef, as well as steak and shrimp fajitas. There were also snacks including trail mix bars, regular candy bars, Chex mix, M&Ms, vanilla creme cookies, Chips Ahoy! cookies, Oatmeal Creme Pies, potato chips, carrot sticks, cheese puffs, vegetarian straws, and also some leftover s'more birthday cake from Caden's 12th birthday party yesterday. "Mmm, that cake looks yummy!" Henri exclaimed. "So, I hear you were in charge of your younger brother's birthday party at the wave pool yesterday," Sarah told Emily. "Is that true?" "Yes, Sarah," Emily replied. "It's true." "I remember when nobody wanted to spend time with me on my birthday one year except James, of course," I told everyone. "That was because we were planning a surprise party for you with yummy snacks like we are having right now," Sarah remembered. "Only this time we are eating tacos instead of pizza and s'more birthday cake instead of ice cream cake." "James, thanks for helping Angel on her birthday," Emily told James. "You're also good friends with my brother, I see." "Yes, Emily," James remarked. "I am good friends with Michael on Facebook just like with Carly Shay's mom, Sam." "What about Justin Evans?" I asked. "Aren't you good friends with him?" "Yes, Angel, but not on Facebook," James replied. Henri was chowing away at the s'more birthday cake. "Mmm, I wish I could have been at Caden's birthday party yesterday," Henri stated as he ate the cake. "Henri, it looks like you have chocolate frosting on your face," Erin pointed out. Henri quickly got a napkin and wiped it off. "My high school graduation was also very memorable," James pointed out, "as Sarah and Angel were there for it." "Did you graduate from high school in 2006?" Michael asked. "Yes, I did," James replied. "That is when I graduated from high school, too, and I learned to take a photography class in high school, just like you." We also decided to play board games. Sarah forgot to bring Scrabble, so I ended up playing Bananagrams with her instead, which James brought from home. James, Henri, Emily, Michael, and Erin played Headbanz, which the Mistles already had. I also agreed to sleep over at the Mistles while Sarah, James, and Henri went back home to Oakland. We cleaned up the party. "Thanks for a great evening, guys!" I thanked my friends. "Thanks for coming," Emily thanked Sarah, James, and Henri. "You're welcome," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


End file.
